‘Abhaya Brigade’: A new Bihar police unit will focus on keeping young women safe

The notification has also instructed the brigades to assess the local geography to identify hotspots, such as isolated routes used by students, areas around educational institutions, public spaces like markets and parks, and busy transit points, including railway stations.

Members will patrol selected spots in uniform as well as in plain clothes, identify harassers, detain them and initiate “effective and lawful action”, police headquarters said. Offenders found involved in two or more cases will be recommended for entry into the “Eve Teaser” category of the Gunda Register, a senior official said.

If a minor is detained for harassment, counselling will be arranged, officials said, adding that in cases of repeated misconduct by the same minor, a report will be logged, a Social Investigation Report will be prepared, and the child will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The brigades will maintain regular contact with principals, teachers, hostel wardens and coaching operators to gather information on student concerns and sensitive locations. Teams will also visit educational institutions to interact directly with women students and spread awareness about Dial-112 emergency services. Additional vehicles or force support will be sought when needed, officials said.

Daily briefings will also be conducted at the police station by senior officers. “Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPO) will carry out continuous reviews of each team’s activities, while Senior Superintendents (SSP) and Superintendents of Police (SP) will monitor implementation. Any laxity at any level will make the respective Station House Officer (SHO) or SDPO accountable,” an official said.

A monthly action taken report on the brigades’ performance must be submitted to the SP of Weaker Sections and Crime Investigation Department by the 15th of every month, the notification said.

The announcement follows Home Minister Samrat Choudhary’s recent declaration that the state would introduce squads to curb harassment. On November 25, soon after assuming charge, Choudhary said special teams would be deployed outside schools and colleges, drawing from pink-patrolling models in other states.

Choudhary, Bihar’s first BJP Home Minister, took over a portfolio held by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for nearly two decades, marking the first transfer of the Home Ministry to a Deputy Chief Minister in the state’s recent political history.